Big-play Seahawks rout Broncos

But CenturyLink Field appeared in midseason form at kickoff, with nary an empty seat in the house, the stands filled by fans eager to get their first in-person look at a Seahawks team generating as much enthusiasm as any in franchise history.

They got what they came for as the Seahawks used a dizzying array of big plays to blow out the Broncos in the first half and coast to a 40-10 win in front of 67,635.

Topping the list of highlights was a 107-yard kickoff return by Jermaine Kearse and a 106-yard return of a fumble by Brandon Browner (each longer than Seattle’s regular-season records).

Browner also forced a fumble as the Seahawks caused three turnovers in the first half, helping overcome 209 yards by Denver’s Peyton Manning-led offense.

Offensively, the Seahawks rebounded from a sluggish outing in the exhibition opener at San Diego, setting the tone for the game with a 65-yard, 10-play drive the first time they had the ball, culminating in a 12-yard pass from Russell Wilson to Kearse.

The Seahawks never punted in the first half, and Wilson finished with a quarterback rating of 141.3 in the kind of performance that rekindled memories of the second half of last season when Seattle began to establish itself as a legitimate Super Bowl contender for 2013.

Denver had 149 yards in the first quarter, using its no-huddle offense to mount an 80-yard drive to cut Seattle’s lead to 10-7 with 1:52 to play on an 11-yard pass from Manning to marquee offseason free agent pickup Wes Welker.

But Kearse returned the ensuing kickoff 107 yards on what was the first time he touched the ball in that role this season to make it 17-7 Seahawks.

Seattle had planned on having Percy Harvin handle kickoff return duties, but his hip surgery has him sidelined for three to four months.

The Seahawks have used several players in that role during training camp and coach Pete Carroll announced Friday that Kearse would get his shot this week.

The return gave Kearse – a former star at Washington who made the Seattle roster last season as a free agent – three touchdowns in the first two Seattle games.

Denver appeared ready to score another touchdown when running back Ronnie Hillman leapt into the end zone from the 1-yard line on the team’s next drive.

But Seattle linebacker Heath Farwell hit Hillman in the air and he fumbled the ball into the end zone, where Browner picked it up and scooted down the home sideline for the touchdown to make it 24-7.

Manning played one more series, but Denver went three-and-out and Golden Tate returned the punt 33 yards to set up a Seattle field goal to make it 27-7.

Wilson played the entire first half and led a 38-yard drive for another score, which followed yet another Denver turnover. This one was a fumble by backup quarterback Brock Osweiler forced and recovered by O’Brien Schofield. Wilson capped that drive with a 3-yard pass to Sean McGrath, who appears set to make the roster as a backup tight end.

The Seahawks got another big-play touchdown late in the third quarter on a 39-yard pass from backup QB Tarvaris Jackson to Stephen Williams. It was the third long Jackson-to-Williams hookup of the exhibition season, and the play might have further assured the 6-5 Williams a spot on the roster.

While there were some nits to pick with Seattle’s play – maybe most notably the lack of a pass rush from a defensive line that remains without some of its key performers – the outcome will only further inflame the excitement greeting the 2013 season.